Daijiworld Media Network - Khartoum

Khartoum, May 29: A devastating cholera outbreak has gripped Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, claiming at least 70 lives within just two days, as the city grapples with a public health disaster exacerbated by war and the collapse of essential services.

Health officials reported 942 new infections and 25 deaths on Wednesday, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths the previous day. The outbreak has intensified pressure on Khartoum’s already crippled healthcare system, with most hospitals out of service due to prolonged conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The resurgence of cholera follows recent drone attacks, blamed on the RSF, that disrupted water and electricity supplies across the capital. Although the army-backed government claims to have driven RSF fighters out of their last strongholds, infrastructure damage remains severe after two years of fighting.

According to the federal health ministry, 172 people have died from cholera in the past week alone — 90% of them in Khartoum State. Despite an 89% recovery rate among patients in isolation, worsening environmental conditions continue to drive the spread of the disease.

The war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 13 million people, creating what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Up to 90% of hospitals in key conflict zones are no longer operational, leaving millions vulnerable as cholera and other preventable diseases spread unchecked.